‘The End of the F***ing World,’ Odd, Funny

Based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman, The End of the F***ing World is a dark comedy that is odd, funny, and crass. Originally premiering in the United Kingdom in October 2017, the series was released as a Netflix Original on January 5th, 2018 to wider audiences.

The series, consisting of eight episodes, follows James, who is quite sure that he’s a psychopath. The reason being that he doesn’t really feel anything emotionally and is content with getting by in life. That is until he meets Alyssa, who is the same age, and strikes up a friendship. The only problem is that James is now planning to kill her.

Quickly, James and Alyssa decide to leave home and find a new life. With each episode, the duo finds themselves confronted with a new problem and their situation is only getting worse. The decisions they make, and how they continue on from these decisions, establishes the overall mood of the show. Additionally?, the audience is teased with the internal monologues of both characters throughout, creating a unique storytelling experience.

Courtesy of Netflix

By the end of the series, I was left wanting more. At eight episodes, and approximately twenty minutes each, The End of the F***ing World was a quick viewing experience. When it ended, it caught me by surprise as I hadn’t realized all the episodes had played.

Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden, portraying James and Alyssa respectively, are a great pairing and their candor throughout the show is respectable. The oddness of their characters is what makes them funny, and the dark cloud that hangs over them makes you question why you’re even watching something like this at all. This show is certainly one for adults and kids should be steered clear of it.

It would seem that Netflix has found yet another hit with The End of the F***ing World and it would not be a surprise to discover that they want more episodes. There would be plenty of opportunities? for the story to continue, in any direction, as the first set of episodes left many stones unturned and questions unanswered.